1-Epilupinine enhances cognition and reduces inflammation in scopolamine-induced dementia model mice

Dementia is a growing global public health concern. The search for effective anti-dementia drugs with fewer side effects, particularly in the early stages of the disease, is a key focus of current research. Natural compounds like 1-Epilupinine (ELP) may offer therapeutic potential for cognitive improvement and neuroprotection. To assess the potential of ELP in improving dementia and neuroinflammation in a scopolamine-induced dementia model in mice, a mouse model was induced using scopolamine hydrobromide, with Donepezil as the positive control. After five days of treatment, cognitive performance was assessed using the Morris water maze test. Motor function and anxiety-related behaviors were evaluated through the open field test. An inflammatory factor array was employed to measure inflammatory markers in the prefrontal cortex. The Morris water maze showed that the model group treated with scopolamine hydrobromide (1 mg/kg) had significantly fewer platform crossings and longer latency (P < 0.001) while mice treated with ELP (5 mg/kg) exhibited improved performance, with more crossings and reduced latency (P < 0.01), suggesting ELP effectively reversed cognitive deficits. In the open field test, no significant difference of total movement distance was detected in ELP-treated groups, indicating it did not impair motor function. The result of the inflammation factors array detecting showed lower levels of GM-CSF, IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-23 significantly in the ELP (5 mg/kg) group, suggesting its potential anti-inflammatory properties for the dementia treatment. Therefore, ELP may serve as a promising treatment for early-stage dementia, offering cognitive improvement alongside anti-inflammatory neuroprotection.